Stephen Yeun
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Yeun Sang-yeop ( ko, 연상엽; born December 21, 1983), known professionally as Steven Yeun (), is a South Korean-born American actor. Yeun initially rose to prominence for his roles as Glenn Rhee in the television series '' The Walking Dead'' (2010–2016) and Ben in the film ''
Burning Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combusti ...
'' (2018). The latter earned him critical acclaim and several accolades. He also starred in and executive produced '' Minari'' (2020), earning him critical acclaim and a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The ...
, becoming the first
Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...
actor to receive this honor. He also became the first Asian-American actor to be nominated at the Screen Actors Guild for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role. Yeun has also appeared in the films ''
I Origins ''I Origins'' is a 2014 American science fiction romantic drama film written and directed by Mike Cahill. The independent production premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on , 2014. It is distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures, and open ...
'' (2014), ''
Okja ''Okja'' (; ) is a 2017 science-fantasy action-adventure film directed by Bong Joon-ho with a screenplay by Bong and Jon Ronson from a story by Bong. The film is about a young girl who raised a genetically modified "super pig" (the titular Okja) ...
'' (2017), '' Sorry to Bother You'' (2018), '' The Humans'' (2021) and '' Nope'' (2022), and has voiced main characters in television series such as '' Voltron: Legendary Defender'' (2016–2018), ''
Tales of Arcadia ''Tales of Arcadia'' is a trilogy of computer-animated science fantasy television series created for Netflix by Guillermo del Toro and produced by DreamWorks Animation and Double Dare You. The series comprising the trilogy follows the inhabit ...
'' (2016–2021), '' Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters'' (2017–2018), ''
Final Space ''Final Space'' is an adult animated space opera comedy drama television series created by Olan Rogers and developed by Rogers and David Sacks. The series involves an astronaut named Gary Goodspeed and his immensely powerful alien friend Mooncak ...
'' (2018–2021), '' Tuca & Bertie'' (2019–2022), and '' Invincible'' (2021–present).


Early life

Yeun was born in Seoul on December 21, 1983, to Je and Jun Yeun. His father was an architect in South Korea before moving his family in 1988 to Canada, where they lived in Regina, Saskatchewan. In Regina, he attended Ruth M. Buck Elementary School. He has a younger brother named Brian who was born in Canada. The family later moved to the U.S. and settled in
Taylor, Michigan Taylor is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Its population was 63,409 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Taylor is the fifth most-populated city in Wayne County and the 17th List of municipa ...
, and then Troy, Michigan, where Yeun lived until he graduated from Troy High School in 2001. Growing up, Yeun's family spoke Korean at home. Yeun was raised in a Christian household. His parents, who owned beauty-supply stores in Detroit, began calling him "Steven" after meeting a doctor by that name. He received a bachelor's degree in psychology with a concentration in neuroscience from Kalamazoo College in 2005. At Kalamazoo, he befriended the sister of comedian
Jordan Klepper Jordan Klepper (born March 9, 1979) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, television host, and actor. He began his career as a member of The Second City and Upright Citizens Brigade. From 2014 to 2017, he was a corre ...
and she took him to see Klepper's improv show, which inspired him to take his first acting class and later follow Klepper to Chicago, where they joined The Second City.


Career


Early career

Yeun revealed to his parents that he planned to pursue an improv career in Chicago instead of enrolling in law school or medical school. His parents were unhappy with the decision, but supported him nonetheless and gave him two years to pursue acting. He moved to Chicago in 2005, living in the city's Lincoln Square with his brother. Shortly after graduation, he joined ''Stir Friday Night!'', a Chicago-based Asian American sketch comedy troupe. Other alumni of the group include Danny Pudi, known for his role in '' Community''. He joined The Second City in Chicago before moving to Los Angeles in October 2009.


''The Walking Dead''

Yeun's breakout role was the starring role of Glenn Rhee on '' The Walking Dead'', an AMC television horror drama based on the comic book series of the same name. The series, which began in 2010, involves a group of characters who fight to survive in a violent apocalyptic world infested with flesh-eating zombies. ''The Walking Dead'' became the highest-rated series in cable television history, and seasons three through six of the show garnered the most 18 to 49-year-old viewers of any cable or broadcast television series. The series has received mostly positive reviews from professional television critics. Per '' Variety'', Yeun was "a major part" of the show's success; his character developed "from a plucky young member of the show's central group to a bona fide action hero and sex symbol". Yeun left the show in 2016 after the season 7 premiere.


Movies

In March 2016, Yeun was cast in Joe Lynch's action
horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...
movie ''
Mayhem Mayhem most commonly refers to: * Mayhem (crime), a type of crime Mayhem may also refer to: People * Monica Mayhem (born 1978), Australian pornographic actress * Jason "Mayhem" Miller, American mixed martial arts fighter * Mayhem Miller (dra ...
''. The movie was released in theaters on November 10, 2017. In April 2016, Yeun was cast in
Bong Joon-ho Bong Joon-ho (, ; Hanja: 奉俊昊; born September 14, 1969) is a South Korean film director, producer and screenwriter. The recipient of four Academy Awards, his filmography is characterised by emphasis on social themes, genre-mixing, black h ...
's action-adventure movie ''
Okja ''Okja'' (; ) is a 2017 science-fantasy action-adventure film directed by Bong Joon-ho with a screenplay by Bong and Jon Ronson from a story by Bong. The film is about a young girl who raised a genetically modified "super pig" (the titular Okja) ...
''. The movie is competed for the '' Palme d'Or'' in the main competition section at the
2017 Cannes Film Festival The 70th Cannes Film Festival took place from 17 to 28 May 2017, in Cannes, France. Spanish film director and screenwriter Pedro Almodóvar was the President of the Jury for the festival and Italian actress Monica Bellucci hosted the opening and ...
. It was released on Netflix on June 28, 2017. Yeun also provided the voice of Bo in 2017's ''
The Star ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''. Yeun then co-starred in Boots Riley's dark comedy '' Sorry to Bother You'' alongside Lakeith Stanfield, Armie Hammer, and Tessa Thompson, which was released in theaters on July 6, 2018. The film had its premiere at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
in January 2018. The movie won The 2019 National Board of Review's Top Ten Independent Films award. It also won
Best Screenplay Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporatio ...
and
Best First Feature Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporatio ...
at the 2019
Independent Spirit Awards The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with Poly(methyl m ...
. In late 2018, Yeun played Ben in the South Korean mystery drama film ''
Burning Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combusti ...
'', directed by Lee Chang-dong. The film was first unveiled at the
2018 Cannes Film Festival The 71st annual Cannes Film Festival was held from 8 to 19 May 2018. Australian actress Cate Blanchett acted as President of the Jury. The Japanese film ''Shoplifters'', directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, won the Palme d'Or. Asghar Farhadi's psycho ...
. His performance in the film was acclaimed. Yeun won Best Supporting Actor at the 2018 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards,
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2018 The 22nd Toronto Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best in film for 2018, were awarded on December 9, 2018. Winners References {{TFCA Awards Chron 2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Oly ...
,
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 2018 23rd FFCC Awards December 21, 2018 ---- Best Picture: ''The Favourite'' The 23rd Florida Film Critics Circle Awards were held on December 21, 2018. The nominations were announced on December 19, 2018, led by ''The Favourite'' with nine nomina ...
, and
2018 National Society of Film Critics Awards 53rd NSFC Awards January 5, 2019 ---- Best Film: The Rider The 53rd National Society of Film Critics Awards, given on 5 January 2019, honored the best in film for 2018. Winners Winners are listed in boldface along with the runner-up positio ...
. In 2020, Yeun starred in and served as an executive producer for Lee Isaac Chung's A24 immigrant drama '' Minari'', which also includes
Youn Yuh-jung Youn Yuh-jung (, ; born June 19, 1947) is a South Korean actress, whose career in film and television spans over five decades. Her accolades include an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a British Academy Film Award, an Independent Spi ...
, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Will Patton and Scott Haze among the cast. The film is about a Korean immigrant family becoming farmers in Arkansas; Yeun included his own immigrant experience in his acting. The film had its world premiere and won two top awards at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
in January 2020. Yeun received an
Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The ...
nomination for ''Minari''. In 2021, he was included in the ''Time'' 100, '' Time''s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world for his appearance in ''Minari''. In 2021, he co-starred alongside
Jayne Houdyshell Jayne Houdyshell (born September 25, 1953) is an American, Tony-winning actress known for her performances on stage and screen. Houdyshell made her Broadway debut in the 2005 production of ''It's a Wonderful Life''. The following year she earn ...
, Richard Jenkins and Amy Schumer, in
Stephen Karam Stephen Karam (born ) is an American playwright, screenwriter and director. His plays ''Sons of the Prophet'', a comedy-drama about a Lebanese-American family, and '' The Humans'' were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2012 and 2016, ...
's award-winning one-act play adaptation '' The Humans''. In 2022, he co-starred alongside Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer in
Jordan Peele Jordan Haworth Peele (born February 21, 1979) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his film and television work in the comedy and horror genres. Peele's breakout role came in 2003, when he was hired as a cast membe ...
's science fiction horror film '' Nope'', as Ricky "Jupe" Park, the owner of the fictional theme park Jupiter's Claim.


Other television work

Yeun does voice acting in both animated television series and films. Some of these roles include Avatar Wan in the second season of '' The Legend of Korra'', Steve Palchuk in ''
Trollhunters Trollhunters may refer to: *Trollhunters, an installment of the Tales of Arcadia trilogy ** Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, 2016-2018 animated series ** Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, 2021 film finale **Trollhunters: The Adventure Begins, (2017 ...
'' and ''
3Below ''3Below: Tales of Arcadia'' (or simply ''3Below'') is an American computer-animated science fantasy television series produced by DreamWorks Animation, and is the second installment of Guillermo del Toro's ''Tales of Arcadia'' trilogy. The serie ...
'', Keith in '' Voltron: Legendary Defender'', Nathan Park/Wingspan in '' Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters'', Little Cato in ''
Final Space ''Final Space'' is an adult animated space opera comedy drama television series created by Olan Rogers and developed by Rogers and David Sacks. The series involves an astronaut named Gary Goodspeed and his immensely powerful alien friend Mooncak ...
,'' and Speckle in '' Tuca & Bertie''. It was later revealed that Yeun's role as Steve Palchuk would continue into '' Wizards'', the third series of the ''
Tales of Arcadia ''Tales of Arcadia'' is a trilogy of computer-animated science fantasy television series created for Netflix by Guillermo del Toro and produced by DreamWorks Animation and Double Dare You. The series comprising the trilogy follows the inhabit ...
'' trilogy. The first season of ''3Below'' was released on Netflix on December 21, 2018, and the second and final season was released on July 12, 2019. In late 2018, Yeun landed a main role in an episode of
Jordan Peele Jordan Haworth Peele (born February 21, 1979) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his film and television work in the comedy and horror genres. Peele's breakout role came in 2003, when he was hired as a cast membe ...
's revival of '' The Twilight Zone''. He currently voices Mark Grayson in the animated superhero series '' Invincible'', adapting
Robert Kirkman Robert Kirkman (; born November 30, 1978)Löchel, Ingo"The Walking Dead: Die Comic-Serie – Robert Kirkman" Zauberspiegel. Retrieved February 17, 2013. is an American comic book writer, screenwriter and television producer. He is best known ...
's comic book series, which released on Amazon Prime in March 2021.


Personal life

Yeun married photographer Joana Pak on December 3, 2016. They reside in Los Angeles and have two children together. He is a longtime fan of the Detroit Pistons and
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
, and endorsed Andrew Yang for president in the 2020 U.S. election.


Filmography


Film


Television


Music videos


Video games


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yeun, Steven 1983 births Living people American male television actors Kalamazoo College alumni South Korean emigrants to the United States Male actors from Chicago People from Troy, Michigan 21st-century American male actors Male actors from Detroit American restaurateurs American male film actors American male voice actors American male actors of Korean descent